This invention relates generally to accessories for archery bows, and more particularly to an arrow rest that captures an arrow shaft in a centered position during use, and which deflects during release of the arrow from an archery bow.
In hunting, 3D archery, and field archery, accuracy is of paramount importance. The presence of the arrow rest plays a very significant role in achieving accuracy in shooting. There are many factors in the operation of a compound bow which may be affected by the presence of the arrow rest. For example, even prior to launching or releasing the arrow from the archery bow, the arrow rest may fail to properly capture the arrow shaft during loading as well as during movement of the archer or while pulling back the arrow to a shooting position, and, consequently, the arrow may move around within the boundaries of the arrow rest or may even fall out of the arrow rest and disengage from the bowstring, causing damage to the archery equipment, possible injury to the archer and others, as well as creating noise that may scare off game. The failure to properly capture the arrow may also lead to inaccurate shooting as the arrow flies off the rest at an improper angle.
Moreover, prior art rests that may properly capture the arrow shaft may not be adaptable to different arrow sizes or diameters. The most popular diameters for arrows range from about 0.23 to about 0.37 inch. Thus, an arrow rest that may properly capture an arrow shaft having a diameter of 0.23 inch may not be able to accommodate a larger diameter arrow of 0.37 inch, for example. Conversely, an arrow rest that may properly capture a 0.37-inch diameter shaft may be too loose for a 0.23-inch diameter shaft.
As shown in FIG. 1 for example, a prior art full capture arrow rest 1 includes an outer circular support frame 2 with a plurality of support bristles 3 that extend radially inwardly from the support frame 2 to form a central opening 4 for receiving the shaft 5 of an arrow 9. As shown, the shaft 5 is larger in diameter than the opening 4, resulting in the ends of the bristles 3 applying unnecessary amount of radial pressure to the arrow shaft, causing undesirable drag, premature wear of the support bristles, and uneven seating of the arrow shaft within the opening, thereby leading to inaccurate and inconsistent shots. Moreover, the relatively stiff nature of the bristles may not allow for temporary deformation of the arrow shaft when the arrow is initially shot and before it clears the arrow rest. This inflexibility may further lead to inaccuracies and inconsistencies in shooting and may also damage the arrow rest.
Likewise, in FIG. 1B for example, when the diameter of the arrow shaft 5 is too small for the central opening 4 of the prior art full capture arrow rest 1, the arrow shaft 5 will normally be supported on a portion of the bristles 3 in an off-centered position as shown. This may result in the arrow shaft angling slightly downward or otherwise off-center, thereby creating difficulty in achieving accuracy and consistency each time the arrow is fired. In addition, premature wear of the support bristles may occur over time, leading to an even further off-center position of the arrow shaft and its unintended consequences.
Moreover, because all arrows are sized to bend slightly under the instantaneous load applied to the shaft upon release, the trajectory of the arrow can be altered by its deflection against the rest, especially if the rest is rigid or fits too tightly against the arrow shaft, as discussed above. Likewise, during release of the arrow, the archer may subject the bow to some inadvertent horizontal or vertical movement that is transferred to the rest and thence to the arrow, thereby causing the trajectory of the arrow to be altered. Finally, noise generated as the arrow shaft slides across the arrow rest can be sufficient to frighten game during hunting.
It would therefore be desirous to provide an arrow rest that overcomes one or more of the above-mentioned disadvantages.